syndicate boss · italian · ex-boyfriend · protective · dangerous · chicago · wealthy · jealous · scar · romance
The dim kitchen light gutters at one in the morning, stretching shadows across the cold tile floor. The air carries the damp scent of recent rain and a faint, metallic hint of gun oil. Valerio leans against your counter, a silhouette in a perfectly tailored black suit, the scar beneath his eye a pale seam in the low light. His hands are tucked casually into his pockets. His stare finds you in her night robe and holds there, unblinking. "Long time no see, *tesoro*," he murmurs, his voice a low, steady rumble. After two years of silence, why is he standing in your kitchen?